Refrigeration package



M. .1. LANG 2,824,013

REFRIGERATION PACKAGE Feb.a 18, 1958 3 sheets-sheet 1 Filed. Aug, 1'7, 1953 Mumzm J. ANG- INVEN TOR.

AYy'ain Jy Feb. 18, 1958 M. J. LANG 2,824,013

' REFRIGERATION PAQKAGE Filed Aug. 17, 1953 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mariam d. LANG INVHVTOR.

Feb 18, 1958 M. J. LANG 2,824,013

' REFRIGERATION PACKAGE Filed Aug. 1'7. 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 TOR.

United States Patent REFRIGERATION PACKAGE Murray I. Lang, New York, N. Y., assignor to Refrigeration Package Spacers, Inc.

Application August 17, 1953, Serial No. 374,667

1 Claim. (Cl. 99-492) This invention relates to spacing means for insuring adequate circulation of refrigerated air about and between piled up packages of frozen foods.

Frozen foods are packaged in flat rectangular boxes and piled on top of one another during storage and shipment in refrigerated compartments. Refrigerated air is circulated through these compartments at a constant temperature, this temperature representing an optimum for preservation of the frozen foods while at the same time avoiding the lower temperatures at which the individual packages freeze together into a solid mass. However, due to the poor air circulation between these packages when piled one on top of the other local temperature variations occur, causing condensation of moisture when the variation is above the optimum temperature with resulting spoilage of the food and causing the individual packages to freeze into a solid mass when the variation is below the optimum temperature. n i

It is accordingly a main object of the present invention to provide means for insuring the adequate circulation of refrigerated air between piled up packages of frozen foods during storage and shipment in refrigerated compartments whereby to avoid local temperature variations.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of strips adapted to be secured about the frozen food packages, these strips having ridges or spacers either integral or applied with ridges which insure air spaces between the adjacent faces of the piled up packages.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of continuous strips of the above types which may be marketed in the form of rolls for compactness and portability.

A still further object of the present invention resides in the provision of strips of the above types which are sturdy and durable, reliable and eificient in use, and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble on the packages.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a package of frozen food showing one form of the invention incorporated thereon;

Fig. 2 is a bottom perspective view thereof showing a manner of securing the straps onto the package, the package shown being adapted to overlie a support when reversed for positioning as the bottom package of a vertical stack.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of encircling straps shown alone;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view across plane 4-4 of Figure 1 showing the straps on a plurality of frozen food packages piled on top of one another; the position ing being reversed when placed in a refrigeration compartment to permit circulation of air through the bottommost layer.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one type of stripping are secured in position.

2 shown in Figures 1-4 before application to the packages of frozen food;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a continuous strip used in Figures l-5 in the form of a roll for compactness and portability;

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of disposition of the packages on a supporting surface showing upper, bottom and lateral spacing by the stripping material.

Figs. 8-14 are views in perspective showing various forms of spacers applied to the stripping material.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings where in like reference numerals identify corresponding parts throughout the several views, 10 represents a package of frozen food of conventional design such as of flat rectangular configuration and adapted to be piled on top of similar packages during storage and shipment in refrigerated compartments.

In the practice of my invention several types of strip- The length'of each strip 11 is such as to permit the strip to be wrapped around four faces of each package 10 with the ends of the strip overlapping and being secured together as at 13 by pliers or the like. It will also be noted that the length of the ridges 12 and the spacing thereof is such as to permit two ridges 12 to be disposed across the top face of package 10 with the third ridge 12 disposed across one end of packagelO when the strips Thus when two strips 11 are secured laterally and one strip is secured longitudinally on each package (see Fig. 1) there will be six ridges 12 disposed across the top face of package 10, two ridges 12 disposed across one side (Fig. 2) and one ridge 12 disposed across one end. Thus, the bottom of package 10, the other side (Fig. l) and the other end will be flat.

When the strips 11 are applied to a plurality of packages 10 in the above manner, it will be apparent that the packages are piled with the surface, one side and one end of one package having ridges 12 abutting the opposite surface, other side and end of the adjacent package along the fiat portions of strips 11, limiting thereby the spacing between the packages to the thickness of one ridge 12. This arrangement is important since it provides the optimum air space between adjacent packages to eliminate local temperature variations and thereby spoilage and thus, the ridge 12 of one strip 11 will always abut the flat portion of the adjacent strip 11 (Fig. 4). It is understood, however, that in stacking the packages the flat portions of strips 11 constitute the bottom of the package as shown in Figure 7.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 6, there is shown a modified form of the present invention wherein a continuous strip is provided with the ridges 12a formed in a roll for compactness and portability. The spacing and length of the ridges 12a is the same in the first form it being only necessary to cut off the strips from the roll as required.

In Figures 814, are shown various forms of stripping made of many selective materials such as rubber, plastic, composition, paper stock or metal wherein elevations or risers in lieu of ridges 12 are formed either integrally or connected to the stripping to effectuate the same purposes as straps 11.

Thus in Figure 9, stripping 13 is provided with spaced pairs of aligned and transverse slots 14 wherein may be fitted a spring type of spacer 15 with slot, engaging longitudinally disposed legs 16 on the end walls to serve 3 one longitudinal and two lateral straps as shownin Figures 1-4.

In Figure 10, stripping 16 is provided with spaced pairs of lateral and opposite alignednotches wherein are fitted spring type of spacers 17'having bendable and transverse- 1y disposed notch engaging legs 18. Spacer 17 is applied by bending the body thereof about the transverse axis until it fits between adjacent pairs of :notches and thereafter legs 18 are bent inwardly about the inner Walls of the notches for engagement.

In Figure 11, stripping 19 is provided with spaced tab portions 20 having a top insert portion 21 engageable with a slot 22 spaced from the tab base. Tab.20 being precut along the perimeter is withdrawn from the body of stripping 19 and forced into the adjacent slot-22 to form the equivalent of ridge 12.

In Figure 12, a stripping 23 is shown having spaced ridgesin'the formof spaced clusters of corrugations 24; while in'Figure 13 a rubber, composition, plastic. or paper-stock'stripping 25 is shown having spaced ridges in the form of clusters of teats 26. g

In Figure 14, a stripping 27 is shown wherein is provided spaced sets of a trapez0idal notch28 and an ad jacent cut-out tab 29 engageable with said notch when the stripping is bent therebetween, the bend 30 serving as the equivalent of ridge 12. I V i It should now be apparent that there has been provided means for insuring the adequate circulation of'refrigerated air between piled-up packages of frozen'foods during storage and shipment in refrigerated compartments whereby to avoid local temperature variations, this means comprising strips adapted to be wrapped about the'packages and formed with elevated areas which insure proper.

struction,-itshall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Whatis claimed as new is:

The combination with frozen food packages of a first fiat elongated flexible strip wrapped longitudinally about the package with the free ends thereof overlapping across one of the faces of the package and being secured together, said first strip being formed with three elevated areas across the central portion thereof, two of said areas being disposed across the: opposite face of the package and the third of said areas being disposed across the end face of the package; andsecondandthird-fiat elongated fiexibie strip-s wrapped'laterally, about the packagewith the free ends thereof overlapping across the first stated face of the package and being secured together, each of said second-and third-flat strips being-formed;with three elevated areas along the length,thereof, two of said areas of each of said second and third strips being disposed across said opposite face of the package at substantially right angles to said first strip elevated areas, andthe. third of said second and third strip elevated areas being disposed across one side face of the package, said elevated areas serving to space individual food packages from eachother wheni stacked vertically and laterallyto permit circulation of refrigerated air therethroughl References Citedin the 'file of'tliis patent UNITED STATES,- PATENTS l,983 ,59'0 Anderson Dec. 11, 1934: 2,105,734 Henderson Jan. 18, 1938 2,183,876 Sullivan Dec. 19, 1939. 2,196,080 Reynoldson Apr. 2, 1940" 2,224,189- Leslie- Dec. 10, 1940 2,275,458" Nyberg' Mar. 10, 1942 2,470,465 Broerenet a1; May 17, 1949- 2, '49'0,072 Mackenzie Dec. 6,L1949- 2,559,101 Wool July 3, 1951 2,675,123 Baird Apr; 13, 1954 

